Cleaning and scrubbing device



April 7, 1953 B. A. MITCHELL CLEANING AND SCRUBBING DEVICE 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Oct. 8. 1948 April 7, 1953 B. A. MITCHELL CLEANINGAND SCRUBBING nsvxcs 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed 000. 8, 1948 6.9 Jnvenior 3Bernard J9? 77Z6ZceZZ m/,1, 6W fizz? Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES2,6335% filjEANING -AND SCRUBBINQDEVI-CE Hessian: Mitchell; diiieaofiil.

1 Applicationflctober s, 1948, serial Nos53409 .7 V 3 Claims.

This invention relatesto an improveinmt in a cleaning andscrubbing-device; and more'particularly to sucha device which isfountain operated.

and scrubbingdevice'which may be easily handled V by the housewifeoroperator i'na s'tanding position for effectively cleaning rugscarpetsandtthe likegdirectly on-thefioor'surface of the home. I

Another object" of this "invention is to: provide 'asimple, inexpens'iveandcompact device for I cleaning rugs, carpets, floors and othersurfaces, which is so 'constructed and arranged thata cleaning fluid isfed tothe brush and the amount of'cleaning fluid.- to be dispensed isunderthe control of the operatonsaid cleaning fluid pass- "ing throughthe'brushbody and on to the surface to becleaned.

Incleaning rugs, carpets and the like, it is the presentpr-actice toeither send them to cleaning establishments operating for that purpose;which is an" inconvenience and costly; or" to clean the i rug'directlyonthe floor by a person gettin down on his hands and'knees and by means'ofa hand 'held'brush laboriously scrubbing the'rug, which requires timeand. physical exertion, or'else to bring intothe homespeci'allyforiflthat purpose heavy and cumbersome electrically q'operatedcleaning-devices'which are expensive and require expert handling.

Thegp'urpose of this invention is to provide: a

compact device .whichis lightl'in weight," inexpensive. to manufacture,which may be readily and easily handled and manipulated withminimumr'eifort by the housewife to effectively clean the rugor carpetdirectly on the floor of the home ywhile irr-a' standing position, andwhich maybe c'kept injthe: home and conveniently used. This handleportion ni'smr;

device may likewise. be used for'cleaning floorror other. surfaces aswell.

Other objects will become 'ap'pa'rent'as this description progresses.

Ei'g: 3 is altperspective view of theibrush minher and showing the flareof the brush bristles,-

: Fig. 4' isaperspectiveview' showing the' lower container portionof-ithe; device, as well asythe brush, :with some oithebristles-eliminated for "purposes of clarity. v

: 'Figss isja rear viewshowing the container and vbru'sh m'ember. W V

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional viewtaken -ondine E-zfifnf-Fig.showing-particularly=the;mecha- *nisrn for controlling-thefiowof -theliquid, 7

Fig.7 7 is pajcr'oss; sectional ""ViQW- showingthe .upperjfunnel shapedportion of the tanlg, -and i Fig. 8' is a cross sectional view; of" amodified form of constructionshowing-another method of "securingthebrush to the container. U I

The 'device comprises a container generally indicated-at lil forcontaining the'fliquid cleaning fluid, a handle genera llyindicated at[2, which u 9 1 g r. a uatin m ch n s f-* sa l n i ated. at. M f r she tn valve; e

0 rel id a e i 5.. iqj nt o l i eb f f li ui s-v. :Thebru h .m mb en eiiidiceied at .18, is supported and carried by thecontainer. dril ersfeeesifieal s t efiqh. Q hei h i l B is shaped to providea depressedorfunnel shaped section 20 -having a depending n'ck"'22' which te ms he;nt an e. is. the qo 'ta' i ierei e ri Qable closureifi fitsinto the neckand biases the o enin he to ih s nt i l 'n T Jaen assh wn at is E 1;tbgiher with the funnel entrance enables the container to be -filledwithout spilling when the toplof "the container is, positionedsubstantially "I parallel to ,the floor, as shown in Fig.'7. 'lhe'bottorn i fof V the container is welded or otherwise permanently securedasat 25 to the containerwalls. The bot- ;tom 24iis at an inclinedangle--with respect to the vertical aigisjof the containeryso; that thet-bottom on which the brush issupported will be substantially parallelwith-the fioor when: the device is o -used. The bottom'isshaped-toprovide a rectanf ular shaped raised or recessed section" 2 S 1 whichj-has an s ngularly-inclined bottom supporting wall 21 provided'with anopening 28. Secured at right angles/to said inclinednbottom wall 2 1 isa'hollow extended: tubular; handle 25 which has an internally" threadedportion 30 at the lower end thereof ;--into' which is" screwed thethreaded plug 3 I hav- [111g an internal bore 32 and-aflangedhead 33.

v he top:entr ce of e'rbo e sst e i 'a d to form a seat for the valve tobe described. 'A

gasket 34 is interposed between the flanged head and the underside ofthe inclined wall 21. The tubular handle 29 extends through an opening35 in the to of the container and is firmly supported by the sleeve 3'5formed in the top of the container. In operatin the device the handle ispositioned at an angle as shown, and the brush bristles aresubstantially paralle1 to the floor.

Slidably supported within the hollow handle is the trigger actuatingmechanism, generally indicated at 14, adjacent the upper part of thehandle for convenient use by the operator while in a standing position.Same comprises a substantially inverted L-shaped member 31 which issupported by a pair of transverse pins 38 fastened thereto and riding inslotted sections 39 formed on the opposite sides of the hollow handle.The leg 40 of the L-shaped member extends through a cutout 41 in thetubular handle. Said cutout is covered by a cover plate 42 which isfastened to the handle as at 43, and which has a slotted opening 44. Theslotted sections 39 serve to limit the movement of the triggermechanism.

The inverted L-shaped member 31 is secured as at 45 to a rod 46 which issupported inside the hollow handle. The rod passes through a guide 41secured inside the handle. The valve member, generally indicated at It,comprises an inverted truncated cone shaped valve 43 which is secured tothe end of the rod 46 and seats on the tapered portion 32a of the plug3| to close the bore 32.

An opening 49 is provided in the hollow handle stem adjacent the valve43 to permit the liquid cleaning fluid 50 in the container to flow bygravity and pass from the container into the lower portion of the handleand the bore 32 if said valve 48 is unseated or raised.

The upper portion of the handle stem supports a transverse pin on whichis secured a coiled spring 52. The opposite end of the spring is coiledaround an extension 53 on the end of the L-shaped actuating member 31,and the spring normally urges the actuating member downwardly so thatthe rod 46 is likewise urged downwardly, seating the valve 48 andclosing the outlet bore 32. When the actuating member 31 is elevated orraised by the finger or hand engaging the portion 40 against the tensionof the spring 52, the rod 46 will move upwardly unseating the valve 48and allowing the cleaning fluid to flow by gravity and pass from thecontainer through the handle opening 49 into the bore 32 and downwardlythrough the brush bristles, to be presently described. I

Permanently secured to the lower end of the container is a skirt portion54 which forms a holder for the brush. The skirt portion comprises apair of side walls 55 and 56 and an end wall 51, all of which have aninverted bead 58. The skirt has a hinged end wall 59 having a latchingend 60 which engages the rolled edge 51a of the side wall 56 to locktherewith.

The brush, generally indicated at !8, has bristles 6| supportedthroughout by the brush head 32, and has a plurality of openings 63 inthe brush head. The bristles forming the outside sides and ends of thebrush are flared outwardly and extend beyond the limits of the brushhead and holder to permit the bristles to reach the corners and sides ofthe floor or rug surfaces to be cleaned. Secured on the top surface ofthe head is a rubber gasket 64. The

brush head has a continuously formed groove 65 on the side and end wallby which it is slid into the bead 58 of the skirt and where sameremovably supports the brush. After the brush is positioned within theskirt, the end wall 59 is locked in place and. the brush will beretained in position until it is desired to have same removed andreplaced, which may be done quickly and easily.

Around the lower end of the container 10 there is secured a rubberbumper member 65 and a similar bumper member 69 may be supported in thechannel 61 of the skirt portion.

After the cleaning fluid passes through the valve bore 32, it enters theapertures 63 in the brush head and flows therethrough among the bristlessaturating same and then onto the rug or floor surface. The gravity flowof the liquid cleaner may be easily controlled by the trigger actuatingmechanism. The unit is light in weight and very compact and may bereadily moved over and about a carpet or floor surface in the samemanner that a hand brush is moved when applied by a person on his handsand knees. However, with this invention the cleaning is done by theoperator standing upright, with less efiort and without soiling thehands or clothes. The flow of the fluid to the brush and floor isreadily controlled. I have found that rugs, carpets, floors and the likemay be eiiectively cleaned in less time and with less effort than is nowpossible by the conventional methods. The device has few parts, iscomparatively inexpensive to manufacture and yet very eflicient.

In Fig. 8 I show a modified form of supporting the brush. In all otherrespects the device is similar to that previously described. Extendingthrough the brush head 70 are a plurality of threaded screws H whichengage the bottom Wall 12 of the container. To remove the brush thescrews 1| are unthreaded. The brush head It has a continuous groove 13which supports a rubber molding 14 which acts as a bumper.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a tubular handlehaving an open lower end and a port opening thereat, a container adaptedto contain fluid surrounding the lower portion of said handle andcommunicating with said port opening, said container having a bottomwall with an opening therein, the said handle being connected to saidbottom wall at said opening, a brush having a head with a plurality ofopenings therein and secured in abutting relation to the underside ofsaid bottom wall, and valve means within said handle for controlling theflow of fluid through said port opening.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a tubular handlehaving an open lower end and a port opening thereat, a container adaptedto contain fluid surrounding the lower portion of said handle andcommunicating with said port opening, said container having a bottomwall with an opening therein, said handle being connected to said bottomwall at said opening, said container having a skirt portion dependingfrom the bottom wall of the container, a brush having a head with aplurality of openings therein and in abutting relation to the undersideof said bottom wall and received within said skirt portion, and valvemeans within said handle for controlling the flow of fluid through saidport opening.

A device of the character described comprising a tubular handle havingan open lower end and a port opening thereat, a container adapted tocontain fluid surrounding the lower portion of said handle, saidcontainer having a bottom wall with an opening therein and formed withan inwardly recessed section, said handle being conneoted to saidrecessed section at said opening, said container having a skirt portiondepending from the bottom wall of the container, a brush having a headwith a plurality of openings therein and received within said skirtportion with said head abutting the underside of said bottom wall.

BERNARD A. MITCHELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 470,461 Banta et a1 Mar. 8, 1892513,071 Baldwin Jan. 23, 1894 639,348 Broderick Dec. 29, 1899 1,918,440White July 18, 1933 2,130,223 Beaurline Sept. 13,1938 2,224,644 EllisDec. 10, 1940 2,5 8,599 Loether Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 97,856 Sweden Jan. 23, 1940

